


Sword Lily

by raidelle



Series: The Beauty of Him [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Episode Ignis Verse 2, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gladnis, M/M, Mentions of Non-Explicit Sex, POV First Person, POV Ignis Scientia, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:06:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: Ignis looks upon Gladio, who had fallen asleep on the sofa, and thinks that he has not seen anyone more beautiful.





	Sword Lily

He is beautiful.

Named after a weapon and a flower, he can be both fierce and gentle, unyielding and tender.

I come home to him each night, and no matter how late the hour may be, I always find him on the sofa. Awaiting my return.

Tonight, he is sprawled half-on and half-off the monstrosity of a furniture that he insisted we get for the tiny living room of our apartment. "We're both six feet tall and change, Iggy. We can't have one of those cute love seats. We won't fit! We can't have comfortable sex on those," he had complained and I gave in.

As he lay sleeping, one of his hands is curled around a book, his index finger marking the place where he'd stopped; it only needs a couple more inches to fall onto the floor. If the red cover is any indication, the book is yet another of those bodice-ripper romances that he so adores.

His other hand is slack around his phone. Perhaps he had been about to ask me yet again what time I'd be home so that he can heat up some dinner. I look toward our dining table and indeed, there is a dish covered in cling-wrap, ready to be put in the microwave.

But food held no appeal to me at this hour. I only want to sleep. Which, due to the busy work that is restoring Insomnia to some semblance of order, is unfortunately the only thing he and I have done together on our bed in this past week. A kiss here and there but no more -- we are both too tired to share anything beyond a touch of lips.

The lamp on the side table is on, and with the moonlight streaming in from the window behind, he is awash in a pale yellow glow. It throws his scars -- on his face and on his chest -- in stark relief. I remember the terror I’d felt upon his departure to face Gilgamesh. I did not know then, of course, what he was planning to do and so when he told us his story around that campfire, my terror had doubled. It sent my heart thundering, beating so loudly in my ears I was almost certain it would burst.

"I have to be strong. Stronger. How could I protect Noct, otherwise. How could I protect you?" His tone had broken at that last word.

"We protect each other! You do not carry this burden alone!" I had whispered back. And then I had cried and he told me that crying was a low-blow. That I was not to use my tears against him or he will never be able to deny me anything ever again.

I gaze at him now, studying him, taking him in, this magnificent specimen of a man whose grandiose had not faded as of yet, despite the ten years of darkness we had all endured. Despite the few short yet infinitely long months into this new dawn that has demanded for so much more from us.

His mouth is slightly open in a breathy snore. His hair is half up in that ridiculous bun, the strands he had left untied splayed like a pool of dark chocolate on the cushion behind him. His chest rises and falls with each deep breath. I see a small dot of saliva on the corner of his mouth and I smile.

He is beautiful. He is breathtakingly beautiful and he is mine. Every little part of him is mine to hold for as long as he would let me, and I am nearly overwhelmed by the intensity of it. He is mine.

His lips and teeth and tongue and the way he tastes in the morning, just after he wakes up and after he has finished his requisite cup of tea. His quick breaths as I push into him, slow and languorous, and his gasps as I thrust hard and he gives in to me. His eyes, warm like molten gold, as he looks into my own as I hold myself above him. His pulse as I kiss his neck and clavicle, and then suck to leave a mark to stake my claim. His hands, holding on to me tight enough to leave bruises, and his arms, trembling as he tips over the razor edge of his self control.

I pull a breath and I feel it within me. This deep and abiding love that threatens to drown me even as it leads me safely back to shore.

And I see it and feel it within him him, too. As he hands me my coat and kisses me goodbye in the morning. As his gaze lingers just before we part ways at the Citadel. As he says "Come home, babe. I want you," in a needy whisper over the phone to tempt me to leave work behind and settle into his arms. As he waits for my return, each and every night, half-sitting, half-lying like this on that Six-damned sofa, even if it means his back will ache for hours afterward.

As he murmurs quiet words into my temple as we slowly drift off to sleep, keeping the nightmares at bay.

I love him fiercely. I do.

I walk over to him and I admire his face for a few more seconds before I remove his book and his phone from his fingers. I pick up his hand and squeeze it gently.

He awakens instantly, blinking the haze of sleep from his eyes. "Iggy, babe," he says. "You're home. Finally." His voice is rough but to my ears, it was music most divine. "Time is it?" He asks, almost unaware.

I do not deign to answer; I simply tug lightly on his hand and say "Come to bed, darling." He follows me wordlessly, his hand warm in mine.

He is beautiful, my Gladiolus.

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter of Bottled Dreams is almost done, but this idea just took hold last night and won't let go. So I went along with it and now here's some Gladnis fluffy romance that I typed hastily on my phone. Obviously, this is un-beta'd so kindly forgive any mistakes you might spot. ^^
> 
> Kindly leave a kudos and/or comment if you enjoyed this work. Much appreciated!
> 
> In the meantime, you can [find me lurking about in Tumblr](https://raidelle.tumblr.com/).


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